Hot metal desulphurisation

The hot metal produced with blast furnaces contains relatively high amounts of sulphur, which is detrimental for the mechanical properties of steel. Owing to the limited desulphurisation capacity of converter processes, it is commonplace to conduct hot metal desulphurisation in a ladle or a torpedo car before further treatment at the meltshop. The desulphurisation reagent is typically injected through a submedged top lance.

Highlights

• A mathematical model has been developed for hot metal desulphurisation. The objective was to derive a model, which accounts for the effects of main technological and operational parameters on the desulphurisation efficiency. The model calculates the desulphurisation rate based on the basis of thermodynamic driving force and relevant mass transfer resistances. The model can be employed for studying effect of the main operating and technological parameters (e.g. reagent composition, size distribution and injection rate) on the efficiency of desulphurisation.
• Data-driven parametrised reaction model, in which the rate parameters are optimised with an genetic algorithm.
• A genetic algorithm based variable selection method was developed for prediction of primary and secondary hot metal desulphurisation
  
• High temperature experiments have been carried out to investigate kinetics of metal-slag reactions during and after the hot metal desulphurisation.
• A vibration-based monitoring system was developed for monitoring the hot metal desulphurisation.

Selected publications

• T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, H. Tähtilä, P. Pekuri, and T. Fabritius, “The Synergistic Effect of Na₂O on Hot Metal Desulfurization Kinetics in CaO–Na₂O–SiO₂–Al₂O₃–MgO Slag System", Chemical Engineering Science, vol. 284, article 119525, 2024.
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• T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, A. Sorsa, T. Paananen, S. Tuomikoski, and T. Fabritius, “Machine Learning Assisted Identification of a Grey–Box Hot Metal Desulfurization Model", Materials and Manufacturing Processes, vol. 38, no. 15, pp. 1983–1996, 2023.
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• M. Pylvänäinen, J. Nissilä, V.-V. Visuri, J. Laurila, A. H. Niemi, S. Tuomikoski, T. Paananen, and T. Liedes, “Effect of Gas Forming Compounds on the Vibration of a Submerged Lance in Hot Metal Desulfurization", Steel Research International, vol. 94, no. 9, article 2300072, 2023.
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• T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, A. Sorsa, S. Ollila, and T. Fabritius, "Application of a genetic algorithm based model selection algorithm for identification of carbide-based hot metal desulfurization", Applied Soft Computing, vol. 92, article 106330, 2020.
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• V.-V. Visuri, T. Vuolio, T. Haas, and T. Fabritius, "A Review of Modeling Hot Metal Desulfurization", Steel Research International, vol. 91, no. 4, 2020. 1900454.
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• T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, A. Sorsa, T. Paananen, and T. Fabritius, "Genetic Algorithm-Based Variable Selection in Prediction of Hot Metal Desulfurization Kinetics, Steel Research International, vol. 90, no. 8, 2019. 1900090
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• T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, T. Paananen, and T. Fabritius, "Identification of Rate, Extent and Mechanisms of Hot Metal Resulfurization with CaO–SiO₂–Na₂O Slag Systems", Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 1791–1807, 2019
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• T. Vuolio, V.-V. Visuri, S. Tuomikoski, T. Paananen, and T. Fabritius, "Data-Driven Mathematical Modeling of the Effect of Particle Size Distribution on the Transitory Reaction Kinetics of Hot Metal Desulfurization," Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, vol. 49, no. 5, pp. 2692–2708, 2018.
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